Bartender Paul A. Brown pours a drink in the Winter Garden Theatre during a performance of ‘School of Rock.’ PHOTO: AGATON STROM FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Alex Chester

Last year, I went to see the “Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway. I’m not going to talk to you about the show, the cast, or anything really that has to do with its production. Instead, let’s talk about drinking. And by drinking, I mean getting freaking toasted at a Broadway show. Hell, any theatrical performance.

You probably disagree with me. Drinking is fun, seeing shows is fun. Let me explain myself. I see nothing wrong with one or two drinks. Some shows (a lot of them) call for it, and it can just make a more enjoyable night at the theatre. What I am just saying is know your limit. Don’t be that guy who gets so sloshed you end up pretending to conduct the show and flaying your arms around to the point you nearly hit the people around you. AKA, me.

I ended up paying more attention to this drunk dude in front of me than the actual performance going on onstage. And, he kept getting up to go get more drinks! This isn’t a rowdy drinking salon, this is a Broadway show where the average ticket price is one hundred dollars or more! Maybe I’m the weird one. Maybe I am too judgmental of the average theatre going patron. I just don't understand why spend all this money, including on the overpriced drinks, to get completely shit faced and probably not even remember what the hell you saw that night.

I guess the moral of my little rant is don’t be THAT drunk when attending the theatre. Please have some class.